Is this an improvement? Does it ruin Ferrari's weirdest offering? Is it too early to tell?

September 29, 2016

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Update: Additional info on the Ferrari GTC4Lusso T is flowing in from the Paris motor show floor. With a published curb weight of 4,112 lbs (3,836 lbs dry), the GTC4Lusso T is 110 lbs lighter than its V12 stablemate. Because that weight all comes off the front, Ferrari claims the weight distribution is shifted slightly rearward -- just 2 percent -- to 46/54 front/rear. 0-62 mph takes just 3.5 seconds; 62-0 mpg takes 108.2 feet.

Pricing is expected to be around $260,000 in the United States; overall savings may be greater in some countries on account of the smaller displacement (and subsequently lower taxes). Expect to see the GTC4Lusso in the fourth quarter of 2017. Stay tuned for more info as it becomes available.

The Ferrari GTC4Lusso is already an interesting beast -- remember, that’s what we’re now calling the updated, V12-powered, all-wheel-drive shooting brake formerly known as the Ferrari FF. We drove it, at times quickly, through the Alps earlier this year and found that it has lost none of its idiosyncratic, family-friendly charm.

But there’s a new take on that formula on the way, and it’s called … the GTC4Lusso T.

Basically, it’s the familiar GTC4Lusso/FF we know and love, minus the V12 (sad) and reconfigured to rear-wheel drive with a four-wheel steering system (good?).

The Ferrari GTC4Lusso T looks a lot like the V12-powered, all-wheel-drive version on the outside -- the changes are all under the skin. Does that look like the bridge to Cincinnati to you? Photo by Ferrari

Instead of the V12, you get a version of Ferrari’s new 3.9-liter turbocharged V8, which we deemed “fabulous” in the new 488 GTB. Here, it’s good for 601 hp and 560 lb-ft. That’s less power but more twist than the 680-hp, 514-lb-ft V12, but it gets routed to two less driven wheels and the whole deal is said to weigh less anyway (though we’re not sure how much lighter the T will be update: see above note).

Whether these changes will improve the car, ruin it or merely offer an interesting alternative remain to be seen. The loss of all-wheel drive might make the GTC4Lusso less suitable for winter ski-trip duty, but on the other hand, it could be more fun on a mountain road in the warmer months. These are the sorts of tradeoffs that can drive a man mad.

If you’re an aspiring Ferrari owner, you’ll count yourself lucky to get either; if you’re a collector of a certain stature, you’ll probably just go right ahead and buy both. Pricing has not yet been announced.

This Ferrari GTC4Lusso T driver is undoubtedly on his or her way to conduct some important business. Photo by Ferrari

Graham Kozak
- Graham Kozak drove a 1951 Packard 200 sedan in high school because he wanted something that would be easy to find in a parking lot. He thinks all the things they're doing with fuel injection and seatbelts these days are pretty nifty too.
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